Melamine resin foam ensures proper acoustics under the hood of the Porsche Panamera Diesel. The foam is used for sound and thermal insulation of the engine compartment, transmission tunnel and trim near the engine in the four-door Gran Turismo.
Melamine resin foam ensures proper acoustics under the hood of the Porsche Panamera Diesel. The foam is used for sound and thermal insulation of the engine compartment, transmission tunnel and trim near the engine in the four-door Gran Turismo.
Basotect is supplied by BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany) and in addition to its good acoustic properties and high temperature resistance, its low density particularly attracted the developers of the Stuttgart automaker. Basotect can be used to absorb sound in areas of the vehicle where operating temperatures remain high for long periods of time, such as engine compartment bulkheads, hood panels, engine crankcases and transmission tunnels.
Basotect is known for its excellent acoustic properties. Thanks to its finely porous open-cell structure, it has very good sound absorption properties in the mid- and high-frequency range. As a result, Panamera driver and passengers can enjoy the typical Porsche engine sound without the accompanying annoying noise. With a density of 9 kg/m3, Basotect is lighter than conventional insulation materials commonly used in engine panels. This reduces both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.
The extremely high heat resistance of foam also played an important role in the choice of material. Basotect provides long-term heat resistance at 200°C+. Jürgen Ochs, NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) vehicle manager at Porsche, explains: “The Panamera is equipped with a six-cylinder diesel engine producing 184 kW/250 hp, and its engine compartment is regularly exposed to temperatures of up to 180 degrees. can withstand such extreme temperatures.”
Basotect can be used to produce complex 3D components and custom components for very limited space. Melamine resin foam can be precision machined using blades and wires, as well as sawing and milling, allowing custom parts to be easily and accurately produced to size and profile. Basotect is also suitable for thermoforming, although the foam must be pre-impregnated to do this. Thanks to these compelling material properties, Porsche also plans to use Basotect for the development of future components. —[email protected]